What I’ve Learned From Quitting My Job in the Middle of a Pandemic to Become a Full-Time Entrepreneur
On December 4, 2020, I clocked out of my job of six and a half years in order to go full-time as a Spiritual Life Coach. I did this despite the fact that I have yet to book any one-on-one clients, and have made less than $200 in my business to date.
Why on earth would I take such a big risk, and in the middle of a pandemic, you might ask? Well, the short answer is that life is short, and I am following my bliss. (Yes, I am aware that I am privileged to be able to take such a big risk. More on that later.)
In the last month, I have taken a solo road trip (my 17-year-old didn’t want to come), lost a long-term friendship, gotten a Human Design reading, created an online membership for new and re-emerging witches at the encouragement of my business coach, and attended an online spiritual retreat. I have learned several things at the start of my entrepreneur journey, and they probably aren’t what you’d expect.
- Not everyone will continue down the path of life with you when you become an entrepreneur, and that’s OK.
As I said, I lost a friendship in December. Someone I have known and loved dearly since high school sent me a message that basically said, “We’ve drifted apart. Have a nice life.”
She had her reasons, and to her they were valid. My decision was to honor her choice, and allow the friendship to end. That was also valid.
She didn’t end the friendship because I quit my job. However, I do believe that my personal growth journey contributed to the decline of our friendship. I am not available in the same ways that I used to be because my priorities have shifted.
Sometimes people drift apart. At first, this particular friendship ending was unexpected for me, but when I had time to reflect I realized that she was not wrong in her belief that we had grown apart over the last year. I just hadn’t been paying attention to how much our friendship had changed.
2. Traveling in a pandemic is scary, and not as fun as it was pre-COVID.
With more free time than I was used to as an employee, I decided to take a trip to Orlando. A friend who is married to an ER nurse recently visited the theme parks there, so I asked if they felt like it was really safe. They said it was, and that the parks were strict about masks and social distancing. So I booked a hotel for 3 nights and drove the 8 hours in order to visit one of my happy places — Universal Studios Florida.
The first day in the parks, it rained, so there weren’t that many people there. I rode a few rides before the rain hit, then spent the rest of the day blissfully walking around with my umbrella. It was absolutely perfect!
My friend was right. Universal has strict guidelines in place. They have security guards who check your temperature before you even get to the gates, and will turn you away if it’s too high. All ride lines are spaced with guides on the ground. Masks are required, and you will be kicked out of the parks if you refuse to wear one.
However, on the second day, it was sunny. That meant more people were in the parks. I tried to enjoy myself, but there were just too many people. I found it difficult to socially distance if I wasn’t in line for a ride, so I left. I didn’t go back the third day.
I will wait to go back until I have gotten the COVID vaccine, and cases around the country start to decline. For the record, when I returned home, I did not go to the grocery store or get fast food for at least a week. I self-quarantined at home to be sure I didn’t have any symptoms. I would not knowingly put anyone else’s life and health at risk.
3. Creating a business works best when you create your own rules.
In mid-December, I had a Human Design reading from someone I’ve been following on Instagram for a while. I already knew I was a Projector, but a lot of the other details in my chart were confusing to me.
During the reading, we discussed how my energy works, how my authority works, and how I can be true to myself in my business. If you know anything about Human Design, you have probably heard that Projectors have to “wait for the invitation.” But how do you book clients if you can’t pitch your services without an “invitation?”
I am learning that just because there are certain rules in certain systems doesn’t mean I have to follow them to a tee. Rules in any system are open to interpretation. You can bend them, and you can break them.
I realized that invitations go both ways. When someone asks me a question about my services directly, that’s obviously an invitation for me to pitch them. However, I can also invite those inquiries by showing up consistently in the spaces where my ideal clients might be hanging out and offering my services. Not by pitching with quotes and too much detail. Just by letting people know that I’ve got services that are open and available for them to book.
On a similar note, I’ve also been learning that following my bliss will help my business grow exponentially. When my business coach suggested I create a membership, she gave me a few ideas, but I ultimately created something that puts a huge smile on my face just thinking about it.
I’m creating a space for new and re-emerging witches to build a foundation for their witchcraft. Call it Witchcraft 101, if you want. (It’s actually called Mystic IV because I’ll be “dripping” articles, graphics, and various forms of training to my members throughout each month.) This membership is what I wish I had access to when I re-ignited my inner witch last year! If you want to know more about it, you can visit https://jenbrowning.com/mystic-iv/.
4. Spiritual work can be just as draining as physical work.
For New Year’s weekend, I attended a 3-day virtual spiritual retreat with a group of ladies who are like sisters to me. We meditated, talked about our intentions for the year (not resolutions!), created action plans (again, not resolutions), sang and chanted together, and practiced a bit of candle magic.
I used to think it was weird when facilitators suggested I hydrate after meditating or tapping (EFT, or Emotional Freedom Technique). However, after this virtual retreat, I will never question that advice again!
Despite the fact that these events were all online, and I did most of them from my bed, I was wiped out after the third day. On Monday, I had to listen to my body and rest as much as possible. Thankfully, I didn’t have to call in sick to my job, since I work for myself now. I’m a pretty lenient boss.
I cooked a big breakfast for my son (he’s homeschooled) and me, watched a bunch of Netflix, did some research for my business, and wrote this article. It was a pretty laid back day, and I’m grateful for the freedom to be able to take the time to recover after an intense weekend of deep spiritual work.
Building a coaching business online is not all rainbows and butterflies. It is hard work that takes consistency and dedication. I recognize that I was extremely privileged to be able to quit my job before I had matched my income.
I don’t know why there are so many people who claim to be overnight successes, but that is not what I expect from this experience. I want a business that will be sustainable in the long run, so if it takes a little while to grow that’s OK.
I’m not here to advise you to quit your job if it’s meeting your needs. My job met my financial needs but was not the right place for me spiritually, physically, mentally, or emotionally. I made the decision that was best for me in quitting to pursue my dreams.
Has it been the easiest month since I quit? No. Have I questioned if I made the right decision? Yes. Absolutely. But do I regret it? Nope. Not today. Not yesterday. And probably not tomorrow.
